Field-gun.



N0 MODEL.

' PATENTED SEPT.. 8, 1903.

E. K. ROTIHE.

FIELD GUN.

APPLICATION FILED r1112. a. 1903.

- oral flanges u -Duchy have invented certain new and useful Imlilo. iaae.

NITEE TATES' Patented September 8, 19031 Fries.

Flare-cum.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 738,629, dated September 8, 1903. Application filed February 3, 1903. Serial N0 141,709. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, ERNST KARL Ro'rHE, en-

gineer, a subject of the Grand Duke of Saxe- Weimar, residing at Eisenach, in the Grand of Saxe-Weimar and German Empire,

provements in or Relating to Field-Guns, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to-improvements in or relating to field-guns.

The main desideratum in the support for field guns is that it should be as light as possible and yet be constructed in such a manner that the parts regulating the recoil'and the brakecylinder, with its stnfiingbox, spring, piston, and piston-rod should be sufficiently protected on all sides against foreign bodies and splinters of shells. This is offseted in accordance with my invention by providing the upper carrier or support on its under side with a protective armor detachably secured to the upper carriage. The upper carrier and the said armor are separated by a free space from the brake-cylinder, so that thelatter is protected by the armor against splinters of shells that may come from the outside or from below, and after having been entirely or partly detached it allows of easy access to the brake, and more particulary to the stuffing-box.

In describing the invention in detail reference is had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the brakeprotector set n p. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof broken away at one end. Fig. 3 is a section on lineABof Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section on line C l) of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a modified form of brakeprotector broken away at one end. Fig. 6 is a section on line E F of Fig. 5. Fig. 7'is a side elevat. m of the parts separated, and Fig. 8 is a section on line G H, Fig. 5.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4 the upper gun carrier or support 0 is fitted at a suitable point with ribs or projections o. projecting outward or inward, said ribs or projections being intended to receive the latut the underside armor it.

In order to enable the armor u to be easily detached from the upper gun-carrier 0, the flanges 0' do not extend throughoutthe entire length, but only form comparatively short strips 0, separated by intervals 0 and the flanges u of the armor intermediate spaces 11. It is then only nec have corresponding essary to slightly displace the armor u in a longitudinal direction in respect-of the upper carrier 0 in order to disengage the former from the. ribs or projections of the latter, and thus enable it to be removed.

Fig. 3 represents a section on the line A B through the ribs or projections 0 and flanges a, while Fig. 4 is a section on the-line C D through the intermediate spaces 0 a, Fig. 1.

According to the modified construction shown in Figs. 5 'to 8 the ribs or flanges 0 are arranged on the lower edge of the upper carrier, which-is deeper than that shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and the armor u is accordingly made rather flat in this instance.

The arrangement is otherwise the same as that of the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4.

The armor it, according to the present invention, may be composed of any suitable number of parts detachably secured to the.

upper carrier in order to facilitate access to certain parts of the brake-gear.

The arrangement described enables the 1 entire brake-gear-that is to say, the brakecylinder with stufling-box, piston-rod, and draJwing-spring-to be protected against foreign bodies and splintersof shells which could otherwise get into it from the outside as well as from below and at the same time enables the protective armor not the upper carrier 0 to be easily removed, which considerably facilitates inspection of the brake-cylinder, access to the stufiing-box, and cleaning thereof.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim'is- In a field-gun carriage, a slide-frame pivoted to the main carriage consisting of vertieal plates along the top edge of which the gun recoiis, a recoil-check and recuperating means placed between said plates, spaced lugs on the bottom edges of said plates, and an armor forming a bottom-for said slideframe having flanges engaging said lugs to support the armor-plate, said flanges being cut away between the lugs, whereby 0n slight longitudinal movement of said armor-plate it, maybe disconnected from said slide-frame.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ERNST KARL ROTHE. Witnesses:

J OHANNES KLUNY, ERNST IIAMMLER. 

